Secrets and Roses
by kelley28
Summary: Whoo hooo! I'm done and the stalker is revealed!
1. Roses Are Red

Secrets and Roses

_A/N - Hello again. I'm back with another story. My other two are on hiatus at the moment. I just figured out the plot for "My New Life" and I'm stuck at the moment. This one has been on my mind for a while, so I'm trying again. Any ideas and reviews are welcome. Thanks to Fairy-Princess139 for the title!

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Chapter 1: Roses Are Red

Mary hummed to herself as she dusted the upstairs library shelves. Even though she had done them yesterday, she liked to make sure that they stayed clean. Just in case anyone came in to read them. Not many people came into the library these days, although the Doctor did like the books here on the second floor and Gray came in to get new books every week. She sighed and pushed her step-stool to another shelf. Other than that, it seemed that the town had forgotten there was a library. Maybe she should paint it bright pink. With orange trim. That would remind them.

She heard the downstairs door open and close. "I'll be right down," she called. She stepped off the stool and headed for the stairs. The lower level was quiet.

"Hello?" she called. She got to the bottom of the stairs. The lower level was empty. Almost. On her desk was a vase with an arrangement of roses in assorted colors. Roses were hard to come by here in Mineral Town. She wondered who brought them, then immediately thought of Jack.

She could feel herself blushing. Jack had moved to Mineral Town to take over his grandfather's farm. Mayor Thomas was giving him a tour, and they stopped by the library.

"Mary, this is Jack Deere. He's taking over Deere Farm. Jack, this is Mary Patrick. She runs the libary." Mary tried hard not to stare at him. He was definately the best looking guy she had ever seen. His brown eyes were the color of chocolate chips and he wore a cap backwards over his dark brown hair.

"Nice to meet you, Mary," Jack said.

"Hi. Welcome to Mineral Town," Mary replied, shyly. Jack looked around.

"This is a very nice library. You must have a lot books. Do you have any on farming?"

Mary nodded. "And I have several here written about the local flora and fauna. They were written by my father. Stop by anytime and borrow any books you want."

"I'll do that. See you later." He waved and followed Mayor Thomas out the door.

Since then, he had come in three times that week, to get and return books; always asking her what she recommended. Her best friend, Ann, teased her, saying that she had a crush on Jack. She supposed she did. She did look forward to seeing him everytime he came in.

She crossed the room to her desk and inspected the flowers. There was a yellow ribbon tied around the vase and a small card was attached to the ribbon. Mary picked it up and opened it.

_To the most beautiful girl in Mineral Town. _

The card had no signature. The most beautiful girl in Mineral Town? She frowned. Maybe these were for Karen. She was certainly the most beautiful girl in Mineral Town. She closed the card and saw her name on the bottom. Huh. She sat down. Well, it was Jack's day to come in today. She would ask him about the flowers then.

* * *

Jack walked toward the library, holding a bouquet of moon mist and toy flowers. Usually, he brought a stack of books back with him on his library days, but this time, he was going for a different reason. According to his calendar, today was the Spring Thanksgiving Festival. He wanted to ask Mary out on a date. It had taken all week to get up his courage. He had even practiced his lines in the mirror at home.

At first, he had thought that Gray was at the library all the time because he was interested in Mary, too. After a few visits, though, Jack could see that they were only friends. He smiled to himself. He remembered when he first met her. He had fallen in love the moment he looked into her big, smoky-grey eyes. Although she was quite shy, they had had some great conversations about his farm and the books he checked out.

He reached the library and took a deep breath before opening the door. The first thing he saw was Mary, sitting at her desk, staring at a bouquet of roses. He panicked. Was he too late? Had someone already asked her out? Then he noticed that she looked slightly confused.

"Mary?" he said quietly, not wanting to startle her. She looked up and immediately smiled.

"Hi Jack. How are you today?"

"I'm fine. What about you? You look a little confused."

"These flowers were on my desk. I was upstairs dusting and I heard the door open and close, and when I came down, there they were."

"Who are they from?"

"I don't know. There was no name on the card." She felt disappointed that they didn't seem to have come from Jack, but didn't say anything.

"Maybe you have a secret admirer," he teased.

'_Yeah, right_,' she thought. Then she noticed he wasn't holding any books, but some flowers instead.

"Where are your books? You usually bring them back when you come in."

"Oh, yeah, about that," Jack said, nervously. "See the thing is...well...I didn't come to bring my books back today. I...uh...came to ask you to dinner." There, he said it.

"You what?"

"Oh, yeah, and these are for you," he said, handing the startled girl the flowers he had picked for her. "Would you have dinner with me tonight at Doug's Inn?"

Mary took the flowers. She wanted to jump up and cheer, but managed to say, quietly, "Yes, I will. Thank you Jack." She pulled a vase out of the cabinet next to her desk and put his flowers in it. She placed it on her desk and moved the roses to one of tables.

"What time?"

"I'll pick you up at 7. Is that okay?"

"That's fine. See you then."

"Okay, see you tonight, Mary."

Jack left the library, smiling. But somewhere, down the street, someone else was not.


	2. Dinner and A Show

_Thanks for the reveiws! And thanks to **FairyPrincess139** for her ideas. As for who the stalker is, I'll never tell. Bwah ha ha ha ha hah! (Well, eventually, I'll have to.) _

_OK, I just made a few changes. Nothing exciting.

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**Chapter 2: Dinner and a Show**

"He what!" Ann squealed, bouncing on Mary's bed.

"He asked me to dinner tonight," Mary answered. "Will you quit bouncing on my bed? You're supposed to be helping me get ready."

"Sorry." Ann bounced one last time, then slid off the bed. She grabbed the chair from behind Mary's desk and placed it in front of the mirror.

"Sit," she commanded. Mary sat and Ann studied her friend for a moment.

"Did you get your contact lenses yet?" she asked.

"Yes, they came in last week." Mary had worn contact lenses on and off for a few years. Just last month, she had found a pair that felt comfortable to wear all the time. She hadn't been able to put them in yet.

"Go put them on while I put together an outfit for you to wear. Which you will wear without complaining."

Mary rolled her eyes. "Yes, Mother," she said.

When Mary came back, she looked at the outfit Ann had left on the bed. A blue, V-neck, spaghetti-strap dress. "Where on earth did that come from!"

"I gave it to you last year, remember?" Ann replied, pushing Mary towards the chair. "You know, just in case you had a hot date or something. Sit."

Mary sat in the chair. "Yeah, a hot date," she said, rolling her eyes. Ann began brushing her hair. "I can't wear that. The neckline is too low. If I have to bend over for any reason, I'm going to fall out of the top!"

Ann laughed at her friend's theatrics. "It's not that low-cut," she said. "And if you're worried about it, you can wear a shawl."

"OK," Mary said, doubtfully. She watched in the mirror as Ann twisted her hair into a bun on top of her head and stuck what looked like two chopsticks through to hold it.

"Where did you learn to do that?" Mary asked, suspiciously, as Ann pulled out a makeup kit.

"Elli gave me some lessons. Don't look so worried! I know what I'm doing."

"Remind me again why you're taking over instead of just helping me?"

"Because if I didn't, you'd wear your glasses and work clothes. You want to knock his socks off, don't you?"

"Ann, it's just one date."

"It won't be when I'm done with you!"

After a few minutes of silence, Mary said, "Something weird happened at the library today. Someone brought me roses while I was dusting upstairs."

"Roses! You can put on your dress now, just be careful. Who were they from?"

Mary stood up, took off her robe, and slipped her dress carefully over her head. Ann zipped it up. The hem fell just below her knees, and Ann was right, the neckline wasn't too low.

"Told you," Ann said, triumphantly.

Mary sat on her bed to put on her shoes. "Anyways, there was a note, but it wasn't signed. It said, 'To the most beautiful girl in Mineral Town.'" "Which I'm not," she added.

"I think your beautiful," Ann said, and left it at that. She knew Mary was self-conscious about her looks and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't convince her otherwise. Well, maybe Jack could.

"That is weird, though," she continued. "Maybe you have a secret admirer."

Mary cracked up. "That's what Jack said."

Ann grinned. "Maybe it's Gray. He spends a lot of time at the library, you know."

"With his nose stuck in a book about blacksmithing," Mary added. "Besides, were just friends."

"I smell a mystery," Ann said in a deep voice.

"You smell the Inn," Mary said, looking at her clock. "Cause you probably should have been back already."

Ann looked at the clock on Mary's dresser. "Your right," she shrieked. She ran down the stairs, yelling, "See you later! Bye Anna, bye Basil!"

Mary turned and looked in the mirror one last time. 'I almost look pretty,' she thought. Maybe she would talk to Elli, too, for makeup and hair lessons. She was on her way downstairs when she heard a knock at the door. She heard her mother open the door and say, "Hello, Jack."

"Hello, Anna. I've come to pick up Mary."

"There you are," Anna said, seeing Mary walk up beside her. "I was just going to call you. Have fun, you two."

Mary stepped out of the house and shut the door. "You look beautiful," Jack told her, as they walked to Doug's Inn. "Not like you don't always look beautiful," he added.

Mary smiled. He sounded as nervous as she felt. "Thank you. You look great, too," she said. He was wearing black slacks and a white shirt, with a black jacket.

"Thanks. Oh, wait, this is for you." He handed her a dark blue, fuzzy bear. It was holding a piece of chocolate.

"He's so cute! How did you know that blue was my favorite color?" she asked, as they reached Doug's Inn.

"I interrogated Ann," he said, holding open the door for her. When they walked in, Ann ran up to them.

"I have a table just for you two," she said. She led them to one of the far tables. It had a tablecloth and candles. Mary was impressed. It certainly hadn't taken her long to get the table ready.

"Sit down, I'll get the menus."

Jack waited until Mary sat, then pushed her chair in. "Is she always this bossy?" he asked, as he sat in his chair.

"Unfortunately," Mary replied, as Ann returned with the menus.

"Let me know when your ready to order," she called, heading for a table that was waving for her.

* * *

Across the room, Karen drank her fourth bottle of wine, and glared at Mary and Jack.

"How dare she take my man," she growled.

"It's just one date," Popuri assured her. "He'll get bored, then you can make your move."

"He looks like he's having fun from here."

Jack was smiling and laughing at something Mary had said.

"She spends all day in a library, how interesting can she be?"

Popuri sighed. It was hard to get through to Karen when she was drunk. "Will you quit worrying. You're going to get wrinkles."

That almost sobered Karen up. If there was thing she took seriously, it was her looks. Everyone said she was the most beautiful girl in Mineral Town and she meant to keep it that way. Being so beautiful had it's rewards. She always got what she wanted. And Karen wanted Jack.

Jack gave Mary a taste of his dessert, and Karen felt her blood pressure rise. She jumped up so fast, her chair fell over. She stomped over to their table.

"How dare you steal my boyfriend, you tramp!" she screamed.

Startled, Mary dropped her glass of iced tea. "Wha-?"

"Don't think I'm going to let you get away with this!"

Jack turned and glared at Karen. "Kare, that was rude. Don't talk to Mary like that," he told her.

Doug and Popuri rushed over to Karen. "Time to go home, Karen." Doug said.

Popuri gently grabbed her arm. "I'll walk with you."

"You'll be sorry," Karen hollered, as Popuri dragged her out of the Inn.

Ann came over with a rag. "Sorry about that," she said. "You didn't get any glass on you, did you?"

Mary and Jack both shook their heads. "Were fine. Thanks, Ann.

A few minutes later, Jack went to pay Doug, who waved them away, saying it was on the house. They thanked him and left the Inn. "Do you feel like taking a walk to the beach?" Jack asked her.

"That would be nice," she agreed.

They walked to the beach and sat down on the dock. The sky was so clear, the stars could easily be seen. Jack pointed out the ones he knew, then Mary pointed out the ones she knew, and they made up names for the rest of them. She couldn't believe how easy it was to talk to him. They talked about books and Jack's farm and whether or not Marvin, Jack's dog, should be allowed to sleep on the bed.

"Marvin?" Mary asked.

"I named him after my friend from the city," Jack said, laughing. He glanced down at his watch. It was almost midnight. He stood up and held is hand out to help Mary stand.

"I should get you back home before your parents start to worry."

"Thanks Jack, I had fun," Mary said, as they stood outside her door.

"Me, too." A few seconds past, then, "Would it be okay if I kissed you?"

"Okay," she whispered, wondering if he would be able to tell that this would her first kiss.

It didn't matter anyway because as soon as his lips touched hers, all worries fled and all she could think was, 'Wow'. He stepped back and smiled.

"Good night."

"Good night."

He waited until she went in the house and closed the door. Then, he walked home, a silly grin on his face.

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_You know, I never understood why writers would say that they hated a chapter they wrote, until now. This one sucks. It has no redeeming qualities whatsoever. It's basically just filler. I needed to put something here, and this what I got. If anyone has any improvements they would like to share, I would be more than happy to hear them._


	3. Beach Day and Warnings

_**I just figured out that I can watch movies on my laptop and type at the same time! Cool! So, I watched 'Resident Evil', while I typed up the second half of this chapter.

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**Chapter 3: Beach Day and Warnings**

Mary walked down the path to the Church, singing to herself. She had been doing a lot of that lately. 'Being love sure does strange thing to people', she thought. Love? Where had that thought come from? She'd only had three dates with Jack. Okay, so maybe not quite love yet, but definitely like.

Mary arrived at the Church just as Carter was opening the door to leave. That was good, since she didn't have a free hand, and would've had to kick the door to get his attention.

"Good morning, Mary," Carter said, cheerfully. He held open the church doors for her. She was holding four books and glass jar of roses. "What is all this?"

She set them all down on the table in his office. "These are the books you ordered, and the roses are for decoration."

"Where did they come from? I don't think I've ever seen any roses around here."

Mary shrugged. "I have no idea. I've gotten at least three a day for two weeks now. There's always a note, but no one signs them."

"They're not from Jack?" Carter teased.

Mary blushed. "No. I've asked him. He's just as confused as I am. Do you think they might be from Gray? He has been acting really secretive lately."

Carter thought about that for a moment. "Could be. Or it could be someone outside of town. Are there any clues at all on the notes."

Mary thought for a moment. "Oh, yeah, on the back of one of cards it says 'Sherwood Florist'. And, on the 14th, I did get a box of '_See's_' candy."

"I have a friend in the city. He may be able to find out who is buying the flowers. Would you like me to ask him to see if he can find out?"

Mary smiled. "Would you? Thanks."

"It's the least I can do."

* * *

"So, Carter is going to ask his friend in the city if he can trace who's sending the roses and candy," Mary told Ann, that night at the Inn. It was a slow night, and they hadn't been able to talk for a few days now. Mary was trying to catch her friend up on what had been going on over the past week.

"See, I told you you had a secret admirer."

"Well, it's starting to feel creepy. I mean, I've gotten roses every day for two weeks now. And they're always either red, coral, or lavender."

"And that's weird, why?" Ann asked, ducking under the counter for another washcloth.

"Well, I looked in this book about flowers and their meanings. For roses, red means "love and passion", coral means "desire", and lavender means "love at first sight". Who would send me flowers like that?"

Ann frowned. "Maybe you're reading too much into this. You always did have a great imagination."

"There's always a note," Mary reminded her. "And they always say some sort of variation of "I love you".

Ann thought of that for a moment. "And you're sure Jack isn't sending them to you?"

"I've asked him. He hasn't sent them."

"Speaking of Jack, you haven't told me about your dates yet. Has he kissed you yet?"

Mary could feel herself turning red. "After our first date."

"Really?" Ann squealed. "And you didn't tell me!"

"I haven't had the time! Besides, when were you planning on telling me about Cliff?"

"What about Cliff?" Ann asked, pretending she didn't know what Mary was talking about.

"Well, has he asked you on a date yet?"

Ann nodded.

"And?"

"I said yes," Ann said, nonchalantly, like she she did it all the time.

"Cool! Maybe we can double sometime." Mary was happy to hear that Ann had said 'yes'. She could see that her friend was very interested in Cliff.

"And here he comes now," Ann said, running in the back to get him some grape juice. Mary gave her friend an amused look. She already knew what Cliff liked to drink?

"Hi, Mary." Cliff said, as he sat down next to her. "Thanks for the juice, Ann," he said, flashing her a smile. Mary could practically see her friend melting.

"Oh, by the way, is this yours?" he asked Mary, setting a hair scrunchy on the bar. "I found it at the Church after you left. I thought it might be yours, since it's not really Carter's color," he joked.

The girls laughed and Mary picked up the scrunchy and pulled her hair back. "It's mine. I didn't realize that I dropped it." She slid off the stool. "Well, I have things to do. See you guys." Ann and Cliff didn't say anything. They were too busy staring at each other.

* * *

Karen was in a lousy mood. She still had a headache left over from the night before, and on top of everything else, one date between Jack and Mary had turned into two more. She had tried stopping at his farm daily, to get his attention, but he always said he was busy. 'He still manages to find time to visit the Mouse,' she thought, sourly. And now, it seemed as if Beach Day was going to be ruined for her as well. She was wearing her most sexy bathing suit and Jack hadn't noticed all morning. He had spent all day standing with Mary and Ann and Cliff.

Popuri had stepped away from Kai long enough to get some punch.

"Wrinkles!" she told Karen.

"I wasn't frowning," Karen said, frowning.

"Oh yes, you were. I could see it from way over there. Why don't you come hang out with me and Kai? It's better than trying to kill Mary with those looks you've been giving her."

Karen rolled her eyes. "Like I want to sit and watch you guys drool over each other."

"You could ask Rick if he wants to sit with you," Popuri said, wickedly.

Karen shuddered. "No thanks." Ever since she had come back from the city two years ago, Rick had been following her around like a puppy. The last thing she wanted was him hanging around, staring at her longingly.

"Well, if you change your mind, we'll be over at the dock, waiting for the swimming race to start." Popuri waved to Karen, then headed back over to Kai.

Mary and Ann left the boys for a minute to refill their punch cups. Karen quickly positioned herself in front of the punch bowl. When Mary and Ann walked up behind her to wait their turn, she turned around and "accidentally" spilled her entire cup of punch on the front of Mary's bathing suit.

"Oh, Mary, I'm so sorry," Karen said, with false sincerity. "I hope I didn't ruin your suit."

"It's fine," Mary said, softly. "I'm sure it was an accident."

"Oh, it definately was," Karen said, trying to look apologetic, and failing.

Ann pushed past Karen and stepped up to the punch bowl. "Jeez, Karen, you'de think with all the dance lessons you've had, you'de be more graceful."

Karen glared at Ann, and Mary turned around so Karen couldn't see her laughing. Finally, Karen stomped off to sit with Kai and Popuri.

Ann and Mary returned to their seats.

"What was that all about?" Cliff asked.

Ann filled them in and they laughed.

"She used to be really nice," Mary said. "Then here parents sent her to some special dance school in the city for a few years, and she's been really snobby ever since."

Throughout the rest of the day, Karen managed to "accidentally" either trip Mary, or spill things on her. Finally, Ann had had it. Being with Jack may have brought Mary partially out of her shell, but she was still shy in other ways, and didn't want to cause a scene, even if it meant defending herself. So, as her best friend, Ann felt it was her duty to help.

After Jack had won the swimming festival, Karen had manage to throw her arms around him and give him a big kiss. Rick started to cry and Mary cringed. Jack gave Karen a small push and she landed in the sand. Jack walked straight back to Mary.

"Sorry about that," he said, looking worried.

"It's okay," Mary reassured him. "She kissed you, not the other way around."

Jack looked relieved. "I'll make up for it anway," he said. He wiped his mouth on his sleeve, then kissed her.

"God, you guys! Nobody wants to see you do that!" Ann joked.

Mary came up for air, and punched her friend lightly in the arm. "Tough."

At the end of the evening, everyone was standing on the dock, watching the sun go down. Ann chose that moment to get Karen back for all she had done to Mary that day. She pretended to lean forward to get a closer look at the water, and "accidentally" shoved Karen off the dock.

"Oh, Karen, I'm so sorry! Are you okay?"

Karen didn't answer her, she just glared. Rick raced over to end of the dock, to help her up.

* * *

Unknown to the young residents of Mineral Town, someone had been watching the group all day. He shook his head. Would Karen ever learn to be nice to people, especially Mary? Couldn't Jack keep his hands to himself? And why couldn't Mary see that he was really the one for her? Granted, she didn't know who he was yet, but he already showered her gifts and notes, professing his undying love. Hmm, maybe a few warnings were in order.

The man sat at his table and thought. Warnings were only good if they were heeded, and if they were appropriate for each person, so much the better. Several hours later, he had it. He knew exactly what to do. First Jack, then Mary, then Karen.

* * *

The night after Beach Day, sometime after midnight, Karen weaved her way up to her room, drunk as usual. This whole Mary and Jack thing was starting to make her sick. 'There is not enough alcohol in the world to make that pairing acceptable,' Karen thought. Why couldn't Jack see that she was the one for him? She was definitely more exciting than Little Miss Bookworm, although Karen did have to admit that she was much better looking now that she got rid of those awful glasses.

She sat down on her bed to remove her shoes, then stood up to put on her favorite pajamas. Picking up a brush, she ran it through her hair. She set the brush back on her dresser, trying to be quiet so she wouldn't wake up her parents. 'Too late,' she thought, hearing a floor board creak behind her. Before she could turn around and apologize to whoever she woke up, someone grabbed her from behind, pinning her arms to her sides. Karen was too startled to scream. Her captor seemed to realize this and whispered, "Don't scream," in her ear.

He began walking them to the window. "Now, just so there is no mistake, this is for Mary. You could be nicer to her, but I doubt if you have it in you. You've changed since you came back from the city, and it wasn't for the better. This is your only warning, Karen; watch what you say and how you treat Mary." Then he pushed her, face first, through her closed, bedroom window.

* * *

Jack woke up the next morning, happy. Today was Monday and Mary would be coming over to spend the day at his farm. She usually went to search for herbs with her parents, but today she would be over to keep him company. She had done this once before, and Jack found that the time went by faster when she was there to talk to.

He fed and brushed his cow and horse, then went to feed the chickens. He stepped into the chicken coop and froze. All of his chickens lay dead on the floor of the coop. There was blood and feathers everywhere. One of heads of the chickens was missing. Something on the right wall caught his eye. There was a message written there, in red. After inspecting it, he realized it was just paint. STAY AWAY FROM MARY.

* * *

Mary opened the front door, ready to head for Jack's farm. A long box had been propped against the door and it fell when she had opened it. Mary picked up the box and brought it into the house. More roses? She untied the ribbon that held the box closed and lifted the lift. They were roses alright, but dead ones. And on top of them was a severed chicken head. Mary dropped the box on the floor. Who would do such a thing? She stood staring at the box in shock. A loud scream from down the street broke her paralysis. She ran out the door. The scream had come from Karen's house. There were already several people standing around Karen's and someone was yelling, "Get the doctor!" Mary ran to the back of the house. Karen was lying in a puddle of blood and glass.

Several hours later, Karen was sleeping peacefully at the Clinic, her knee and face bandaged.

"She's fine," Tim assured her parents, and the other people who were waiting at the Clinic to hear about Karen. "She broke her knee and her face is cut, and she may have one or two scars, but that's it."

"Who would do something like this?" Mayor Thomas asked.

"We may already have the answer for that, Dad," Harris said, coming in to the Clinic with Jack. "I found this in Karen's room, partially hidden under her bed." He held out the object. Gray's hat.

_**

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Okay, I decided that part of chapter 4 is better with chapter 3, so I changed it. Now, I'm not really sure if it's possible to get thrown through a window, but for the sake of this story, it has to be. I DO know that you can go face-first through a window and not end up blind or not have scars. It happened to my dad. (Only, in his case, he went through a windshield.)**_


	4. Final Warning

_**Thanks to everyone who reviewed. This story is turning out a little different than I had planned. I knew the beginning and the end, just not the middle. Your reviews have made me want to keep going. Hopefully this chapter doesn't suck.

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**Chapter 4: Final Warning**

Harris and Jack burst into the blacksmith shop. Harris grabbed a surprised Gray and handcuffed him.

"What's going on?" Saibara demanded.

"You're under arrest for the attempted murder of Karen Leonard and the stalking of Mary Patrick."

"And killing all of my chickens," Jack added.

"What are you _talking _about?" Gray protested. "What do you mean by stalking? I never went anywhere _near_ your chickens, and I certainly didn't try to kill Karen!"

"You haven't been sending Mary roses everyday for almost a month now? And you didn't kill my chickens to warn me to stay away from her?" Jack demanded.

Gray shook his head. "I haven't done any of those things. I know, I've been acting kind of strange lately, but there is a good reason for that."

Harris held up the hat they had found in Karen's room. "Isn't this yours?" he asked.

Gray looked like he was about to pass out. "Yes. I lost it a couple of days ago. Where did you find it?"

"Karen's room," Harris informed him.

"I'm telling you, I didn't have anything to do with this! I can explain! Listen, you have the wrong guy," Gray insisted. "I like Mary, but we're just friends. I'm glad she's with you, Jack. I know that right now, you don't have any reason to believe me, so I'll explain what's been going on." He took a deep breath. "I'm engaged to a girl in the city. I've been working two jobs, so I can afford a house. I have to keep it a secret because her parents don't like me and we don't want them to know that we are getting married."

Saibara nodded. "This is true. I have met her. She's a very nice girl. Her parents don't want her marry Gray because he's not rich."

Harris sighed. "I'll have to check this out. You're under house arrest until I've checked your story."

Gray nodded. "I understand. I'll get her address for you."

* * *

Karen woke up from the anesthesia, still feeling groggy. She turned her head, and noticed her parents sitting in chairs on either side of her bed.

Sasha was the first one who noticed that she was awake. "How are you feeling, sweetheart?"

Karen took a breath. "OK, I guess. Can I have some water?"

"I'll be right back."

Sasha left the room to get her some water. Jeff sat, holding Karen's hand. He still looked freaked out. Sasha came back in the room with Karen's water and Mary.

"Someone wants to see you. Do you feel up to it?" she asked, handing Karen the glass.

"I won't stay long," Mary said. "I just wanted to see how you were doing."

"I'm still tired, and numb right now," Karen said, after taking a drink of the water.

Mary nodded. "I'll come back later this afternoon and we can talk then, okay?"

Karen managed a small smile. "That would be nice."

* * *

When Mary came back to the Clinic at 5:30, Karen was sitting up in bed. Elli was finishing up with changing her bandages.

"I brought cookies," Mary said. "And a milkshake for Karen. Do you want some cookies, Elli?"

Elli threw away the old bandages and crossed to the sink to wash her hands. "No thanks, I have dinner with Tim tonight," she replied, blushing.

"It's about time he asked," Mary said. "The men around here sure are slow, aren't they?"

Elli laughed. "Don't be up too late, Karen," she warned, as she was leaving the room, "You need all the rest you can get.

Mary handed the milkshake to Karen. "It's root beer," she said.

Karen took a sip. "Thanks." She fiddled with the straw. "I'm sorry, Mary."

Mary gave her a surprised look.

"Before….before 'he', whoever he was, pushed me out of the window, he said it was for you, because I had been so mean."

"I'm sorry, Karen, that's awful," Mary interrupted.

"Wait. He was right, you know. I have been mean to you, and everyone else besides Popuri. I've had time to think about it today, and I can see that I acted really stupid. All of us used to be such good friends when we were kids. Then, I went to the city for a while and when I got back, I was so full of myself, thinking I was better then everyone else, like I had more experience at living than everyone did. Still, part of me missed having you and Ann and Elli as friends. I should never have tried to take Jack from you either. You two like each other and I'm glad. So, I want to ask, can you forgive me and can we be friends again?"

Mary set down her plate of cookies and hugged Karen gently. "Of course we can! I missed you, too. I'm sorry this happened. I'm glad it gave you time to think, but really, I wish something else could have done that."

"Do I look really bad?"

"Nope. And Tim said you may only have one or two scars. You'll still be beautiful."

"You know, that isn't important anymore. I could have died in that fall. The fact that I didn't, means more to me now then being beautiful."

The girls sat silent for a moment, then Karen spoke up again. "Does anyone have any idea who did this? I didn't recognize the voice, but I was drunk and he was whispering."

"Harris and Jack found Gray's hat near your bed, but he has an alibi, sort of. They're not sure he did it, but, well that's not all. Whoever it was, killed all of Jack's chickens and sent me dead roses with one the chicken heads."

"Eww, what a creep! I can't believe it might be someone from this town! We've known everyone in this town all our lives, well except for Gray, Cliff, and Carter. But he's a priest, so he doesn't count."

"I don't think it could be Cliff. He and Ann have been stuck to each other like glue. And, Carter is waiting to hear from his friend in the city. He thinks maybe his friend can find out who's been sending the roses."

"Gray spends a lot of time in the city," Karen said. "Maybe he dropped it on purpose we'd suspect him and he could come up with an alibi."

"How do you know about him going to the city?"

"Kai told me the other day. He said he's seen Gray around the city a few times a week. When Kai asked him about it, he acted real strange, then took off."

"I heard he had girlfriend in the city,"

"Maybe he made her up, you know, so we wouldn't suspect him anymore."

"I think that milkshake is making you nuts," Mary said, doubtfully.

Karen coughed and tried not to laugh. "Don't you dare make me laugh," she said, smiling. "It hurts."

"Jack and Harris are looking into it. They want to talk to you when you feel better."

"Tell them to give me a day or two, and I'll be ready. I'm too tired to think right now."

Mary stood up. "I'll come by tomorrow. Get some more sleep okay?"

"See you tomorrow."

* * *

The man sighed in frustration. His plan backfired. Well, part of it had anyway. Not only was Karen being nicer to Mary, they had become friends again. In fact, Karen seemed like a whole new person. After she had gotten out of the Clinic, she returned to doing small jobs at the store, and visited with Mary and Ann everyday. Even Popuri seemed to have changed. She had been slightly obnoxious before, but after seeing Karen and what had happened to Jack's chickens, she turned into a new person. The five girls were friends once again, and that made him extremely happy. He was not happy, however, with Jack. He had not listened to the warning. Mary obviously did not learn anything from hers, either. Something had to be done. If he could not have Mary, neither could Jack. For Mary, he would give them both one more chance.

* * *

Karen had not been able to give them any helpful details, and Gray's story checked out, so they were back to the beginning again. Mary was still receiving roses, but not the same ones as before. Sometimes they were dead, and couple of them had been black. Except for the roses, nothing had happened for a week and that was making Harris and Jack frustrated. They had nothing new to go on. Carter's friend, Steven, had not been able to find anything out. So, there were no new suspects so far.

A scream outside his house woke Jack up early on Tuesday. He jumped out of bed and ran outside in him pajamas. Mary was standing near his field, a look of shock on her face. All of his crops were ruined! Everything that had been planted at the beginning of the season was ready to harvest today and it was all gone. Fruits and vegetables were smashed and scattered all over the field. Written on his house, in red paint, were the words, "Final Warning."

"I'm sorry, Jack," Mary said, looking like she was going to cry.

"Don't be! It's not your fault! We're going to find out who this psycho is and nail him." He sighed. "I've got to change and clean this mess up."

"I'll help. The Library can wait."

"I'll be right back."

A few minutes later, Jack came back out of the house, dressed and carrying some trash bags. They worked in silence for a while before Jack asked, "Why were out so early?"

"I got a present for Marvin. I wanted to bring it over before I started work. Listen, Jack, I'm scared. What if the next time something happens, someone dies?"

"That's not going to happen," Jack assured her. "We'll catch him before he does."

After they had cleaned up the field, they walked over to the Mayor's house together. Jack explained what happened to his field and house.

"All right, you two, from now on, I don't either of you going anywhere alone. Either you're together or someone else is with you. Jack, I want you to stay at the Inn until we straighten this out. You can check on your animals during the day. I've got an idea. It may not work, but we have to try."

* * *

_**I'm not really sure if I like this chapter either, but I need it here because the last chapter has already been written. I just need to type it up and fix it a little and that's it.**_


	5. Showdown

_**This is it, the moment you've all been waiting for. I hope this ending is a satisfying one. I wrote it on paper at about 1 am the other night, and I was pretty happy with it. Then, I decided it needed a little fixing. So, here it is. Enjoy!**_

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Chapter 5: Showdown

Harris caught up to Jack as he was heading into the Inn. "Have you heard anything yet?"

Jack shook his head. "Nothing. He hasn't called."

"We have a problem. He may not be able to get through to us tonight. There's a huge storm coming. We need to get everyone to the Church basement and the get the windows of the houses boarded up. We don't have a lot of time."

Jack nodded. "I'll get Cliff and Gray. They're upstairs. We'll start at Barley's."

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The storm was growing worse, and by this time, almost everyone had gathered in the basement of the Church. After the big storm of '97, the Mayor had set up a shelter in the basement. Beds had been set up, along with a couple of refrigerators to store water and food.

The girls were trying to keep May and Stu occupied so they wouldn't be scared. Mary looked around for Jack. She didn't see him, or Cliff either. She wished they would hurry. Pretty soon, it would be too dangerous to be outside. She hoped they were okay. A huge flash of lighting hit, and the power went out. May and Stu burst into tears.

"It's okay," Mary said. "I know where Carter keeps some extra flashlights. "I'll go get them, okay?"

"You can sit with me, May," Karen said.

Using the little bit of lightening coming in through the window, she walked over and picked up the little girl. She sat down next to Elli, who was holding Stu, and settled May on her lap.

Mary slowly made her way over to Carter.

"We're going to need some more flashlights and blankets," she told him. "I can get those. But, Jack and Cliff aren't here yet. Should we go look for them?"

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Jack helped Doug finish boarding the up the Inn windows. Gray had twisted his ankle, so Doug and Jack sent him and Cliff to the Church.

"That's the last one," Doug said. "We better get to the Church. This storm is getting worse."

On their way out, the phone rang.

"Go ahead," Jack told Doug. "This might be for me."

"Okay, but hurry."

Jack picked up the phone. "Hello, this is Jack."

Static, then, "Jack? It's Kai." Some more static. "I can't believe how long it's taken me to get through."

"We're having a huge storm, so you'll have to speak up a little."

"I found him, Jack. The psycho who's been sending Mary flowers. He was here yesterday. You won't believe it. It's -ck-..." **(A/N - short "c" sound)**

The line went dead.

"Kai? Kai? Are you still there?" No answer, no dial tone.

"Damn," Jack muttered, slamming the phone down. Behind him, the Inn doors flew open.

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"Jack is on his way," Doug said. "He got a phone call. Cliff should be here already though."

"Maybe he went back to get Jack," Carter suggested. "I'll stay by the door, and keep an eye out for them."

"I'll go get the flashlights and the blankets," Mary said. She left the basement as fast as she could. The Church had been around ever since she was a kid, so she knew her way around and could walk through it blindfolded. The occasional lighting flashes helped light the way and she reached the supply closet in record time.

On the closet shelf, next to the door, was one of those industrial flashlights. She picked it up and turned it on. Good thing Carter made sure things were always in working order. She scanned the room, noticing the blankets on the far shelf. Her foot hit something on the floor and she looked down. A paint can. A paint can half full of red paint. That was weird. Then she remembered that the paint had been used on the Harvest Sprites' roof. Still, for some reason, it made her uneasy to see the can just sitting there, with the lid partially on. Something didn't feel right. She decided to just grab the flashlights and blankets and get out of there. Suddenly, something struck her across the back of the head. She fell to the floor, unconscious.

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Cliff stood in the doorway of the Inn, soaking wet. "Jack, what are you still doing here! You're gonna have to swim to the Church if you don't hurry!"

_It's –ck--._

"It's you?" Jack asked, in disbelief.

"It's me, what?" Cliff asked, confused.

"You're the one whose been sending Mary flowers? You killed my chickens and almost killed Karen?"

"Hold on a second, Jack, you're not making any sense."

"I just got a call from Kai. He said he found the guy who's been stalking Mary. He said it was, well, it sounded like a name with a short "c".

"Okay, I can see how that would seem, but trust me, it wasn't me. We're friends. I wouldn't do that. Besides, I love Ann. I'm planning on proposing to her soon"

Jack sighed. "I'm sorry. Of course it wasn't you. I don't know what I was thinking. This whole thing is so frustrating."

"All is forgiven, my friend," Cliff said. "I'd feel the same way if it was Ann." He thought for a moment. "A short "c", huh? Well, it can't be Kai, cause he just called you."

"And it's not me. Unless I'm doing this behind my own back," Jack said. "And I don't think it's Rick. If he was stalking anyone, it would be Karen."

"It can't be Duke," Cliff said, after a moment. "He can't even be romantic, much less than stalk someone. And I'm pretty sure that Zach has a crush on Lillia. So, who does that leave?"

A moment of silence, then they stared at each other as the same thought occurred to them both.

"We need to hurry," Jack said.

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Mary slowly opened her eyes. Her head hurt like crazy and she wanted to lay down for just a minute, to make it go away. She moved her hand to brush her hair out of her eyes and realized that she tied to a chair. Now fully awake, she looked around. She was in Carter's office. A couple of battery powered lamps were on. He was sitting on his desk, looking at her.

"Wha-what's going on?" she asked.

"I'm sorry," Carter said, "I really didn't mean to hit you that hard."

"Oo-kay. So, why did you hit me in the first place? And will you please untie me?"

"Not yet."

Mary stared at him in disbelief. "Wait a second! This whole time it was you! You've been sending me flowers? You killed Jack's chickens and ruined his farm? Oh, Goddess, you threw Karen out of a window! Are you out of your mind?"

"Of course not. I did it all for you. Because I love you."

"You _love me_? You almost killed someone because you _love me_!"

"I wasn't trying to kill her. I knew she wasn't going to die. But, she was very rude and unkind to you. I was trying to teach her a lesson. Lucky for her, it worked." His expression darkened. "Too bad it didn't work with Jack."

Mary suddenly felt as if she had stepped into _The Twilight Zone_. This couldn't be the same Carter who played with May and Stu almost every day. Or who would let her practice on the organ at odd hours of the day.

"I loved you from the moment I saw you. Then, that infernal farmer showed up and took you away from me. I know city boys. He would have turned you into another Karen."

"He didn't _take me away_ from you. I wasn't yours in the first place. And Jack isn't like that."

"All he had to do was take my warnings seriously!" he exclaimed, pacing.

"I told you, Jack isn't like that! He loves me, and I love him. Doesn't what I want mean anything to you?" she demanded.

Carter looked startled. "Of course it does. But, I know that you would learn to love me."

Mary gave him a sad look. "I'm sorry, Carter, but I don't feel that way about you. I like being your friend, but that's it."

Carter stopped pacing and opened a drawer in his desk and pulled something out. In the light of one of the lanterns, Mary saw that it was a gun.

"Where did you get that!" she gasped.

"It belonged to Jack's great-grandfather. A family heirloom, I think. It wasn't loaded, but I found the bullets under the display case." He walked toward her. "If I can't have you, he can't either."

"And just how are you planning to get away with that?"

"He'll shoot you, then himself. Of course, I tried to save you both, getting shot in the process. I'll survive to tell the story, though."

"Sounds like a bad ending to a crappy movie," Mary said, sarcastically.

"Are you sure you won't change your mind?" Carter asked.

Mary never got to answer. The door was flung open as Jack flew across the room and tackled Carter. Cliff was right behind him. He ran and untied Mary from the chair.

"Quick, get help!" he hollered.

Mary ran for the door. Carter, momentarily gaining the upper hand, pointed the gun at her. Cliff pushed her out of the way and caught the bullet in his shoulder. Jack grabbed one the heavy books Carter had on the floor and brought it down on Carter's gun hand. Carter dropped the gun, but managed to punch Jack with his other fist. Carter gave him a kick and he fell back against the bookshelves. Carter started to stand, and Mary grabbed the chair she had been sitting on and smashed it over his head. He fell to the floor and Jack jumped up and snapped on the handcuffs Harris had given him.

Jack sat down on the floor, out of breath. Mary plopped down next to him.

"Thanks for coming to my rescue," she said, smiling "How did you know?"

"Kai called me," Jack said, between breaths. "Thanks for coming to _my_ rescue."

Mary sighed. "What a psycho."

"Ah, listen, this is probably the worst time to ask this, but I have to ask anyway." Jack turned so that he was looking into her eyes. "Mary, will you marry me?" He pulled a Blue Feather out of his pocket, that had miraculously survived the fight.

Mary threw her arms around him.

"Of course I will!" she exclaimed.

They kissed, then heard someone clear their throat from behind them.

"Listen, guys, I had to break up your romantic moment," Cliff said, sounding amused, "but I've been shot, and while I don't think it's bad, it really hurts."

Mary jumped to her feet. "I'll get Tim and Harris."

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On a beautiful Fall day, Mary stood in front of the mirror in the back of the Church. Her mother adjusted her veil one last time. She grabbed her bouquet and joined Karen, Ann and Elli. After talking it over, they had decided on a double wedding. Karen would be Mary's bridesmaid, and Elli would be Ann's.

They heard the music start in the Church, and the four girls prepared to walk down the aisle. First, Karen, escorted by Rick, whom had proposed an excited Karen told the girls that morning (they had been seeing each other ever since Karen had become a new person); then, Elli, escorted by Tim, who was nervously trying to find the right time to propose. They took their places behind the grooms and waited.

The music changed, and Mary and Ann walked towards their soon-to-be husbands on the arms of their fathers. Anna was crying and Doug looked like he was trying not to. As they stood in front of Mayor Thomas, as another priest had not been found yet, Mary smiled at Jack. Things were getting better. The past was behind them now. No more secrets, no more roses. Just happiness for the rest of their lives.

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_**A/N – I can't believe I'm done! The whole story didn't turn out the way I had planned. It could have been a little longer, with a little more action. I'm not too good at that action stuff, anyways. Should I try another one like this?**_

_**As for this chapter, I hope you enjoyed it. Like I said in the beginning, I did write it out on paper, but I lost the paper and had to do it from memory, so it wasn't exactly how I wanted it, but almost. Thanks to my reviewers: PacificTwist, CandyApple8, Fairy-Princess139, King of Apple Pie, Chocolatez-z-z, muddPiEE, and Chicken Yuki!**_


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